Shameless Self Insert Into Daria
by James the Lesser
Summary: I need a break from my original works after finishing a monster of a book, Unique. So, I've had this idea for a long, long time. Starting back when the show first aired long time ago. So, here, a new character, Adrian, is friends with Jane before Daria shows up. How will he change the show? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Shameless Self Insert Into Daria**

 **A/N Here I shamelessly insert myself, er, a male character totally not me into the Daria world. How many episodes will it be? Unsure. I just finished my newest book, UNIQUE by Seth Quillet, on Amazon now in Paperback and Digital format. I want/need a return to FF after finishing that monster.**

 **Jane** Lane and her friend, Adrian Prescott, walk by a car as two girls get out.

Jane takes a peek at the two through the crowd. "Newbies?"

Adrian shrugs his shoulders. "Probably. They'll have to go through the psych eval before they're allowed in class."

Jane smirks as she remembers taking it several times. "I wonder if either of them will end up in our self esteem class."

Adrian chuckles as they continue to the school entrance. "You could always use another subject for your art work."

"I am rather board with drawing you. One can only do average looking guy with short brown hair and brown eyes so many times."

He gives her a glare before smiling. "Average? Six one is not average."

She looks him up and down, noticing the holes in his jeans, the dirt on his black sneakers, and the paint stain on his blue shirt. "You didn't wash that, did you?"

As she points at the stain, he looks down, and notices it. "Huh, thought I pulled this from the clean clothes I don't feel like folding."

Jane and Adrian enter the school and walk to class as he rubs the stain hoping it might come out.

 **In** history class, after a demonstration of the new girl's wit, Jane and Adrian pass notes back and forth to each other. "She seems like a trouble maker."

Jane reads his note and sends it back to him after writing a response. "Maybe. Or she went to a school that valued knowledge and not football."

Adrian gives her a quizzical look before writing down his response. "Would a school like that really exist?"

Jane hands the note back after writing her response. "One might like to pretend. Maybe she's a Brain and didn't realize those aren't allowed around here."

Adrian smiles before handing the note back. "Might be nice to have another one. Jodie is great but always busy."

Jane quickly hands the note back. "Upchuck?"

Adrian scowls as he hands it back. "Gross. He has a brain but never any blood rushing to it."

Mr. DeMartino sees Jane handing the note back to Adrian. "JANE Lane, please, would you LIKE to share with the class, WHAT you FEEL is more important than MY class."

Jane moves the note back to her desk, sliding it under her book, as she pulls out a different piece of paper. "Uh, I can't really share it without handing it around."

Mr. DeMartino looks at the doodle of a FrankenKevin walking around while a Professor Andrea holds his brain. "While VERY amusing, Jane Lane, this does NOT go with what I am teaching."

Jane smiles. "You can keep it, or I can add more details, any you want."

"Perhaps you THINK that is funny, trying to BRIBE a teacher with your art."

Jane shakes her head. "I'm not trying to bribe you. I just can't serve detention since I have to go to my self esteem class."

Mr. DeMartino looks at the note again before leaning down so only Jane could hear. "You have fun with that, class. I'm sure while there you could maybe add a Brittany Igor."

Jane simply nods and takes the doodle and puts it in her book.

 **Jane** and Adrian are surprised to see the new student, Daria Morgendorrfer, in self esteem class a couple of days later. "I wonder what she said to get her sent here."

Jane shrugs her shoulders. "With that quack, who knows."

When Daria tries to ask a question, Jane leans over to try and save her. "Just listen to the soothing voice."

"How am I supposed to learn anything if I don't understand what's going on?"

Adrian leans over. "We got all the notes. I've taken this class three times."

Jane smiles. "Six times here."

Daria looks back and forth at the two before nervously agreeing to talk with them after the class.

 **After** class, Daria walks with Jane and Adrian. "So, what did you say to get thrown in with us?"

Daria shies away a little before responding. "I didn't take the test seriously. I guess Ms. Mason didn't like that."

Jane smiles trying to make the new kid feel better. "It is a joke. But, one that gets you locked up after school with Mr. O'Neil."

Adrian nods in agreement. "But it gives me time to do homework, or write whatever short stories I've got rattling around in my noggin."

Daria's eyes seem to react to that, for just a second, before going back to their normal gaze. "Can't you do it at home?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

Jane responds after a second. "I'd rather watch Sick, Sad, World than do homework."

This perks Daria's interest. "You two watch it?"

Both nod.

"Cool."

 **Adrian** and Jane stop, so Daria does as well. "What's up?"

Adrian jerks his thumb towards a one level ranch style home. "My stop, gotta drop my stuff off."

Daria looks at the blue home. "Oh, okay."

Adrian walks away leaving the ladies alone.

Daria turns towards Jane. "So, uh, you and Adrian..."

Jane smirks. "No, not like that. We're just friends."

"Really?"

Jane nods. "Why, think he's cute?"

Daria acts like she was bitten. "No, no."

"Don't worry, he is. Just, it doesn't come up between us."

"Oh."

Jane laughs. "Not big on talking, are you?"

"Well, um, back in Highland about the only time I talked a lot was when I was grilling the President."

Jane starts to laugh again when she sees Daria's look. "Wait, you're serious?" She nods. "Wow, you're a lot cooler than you give off."

"Cool? Not me."

Adrian comes out after dropping off his backpack. "Off to Casa Lane?"

Daria shakes her head. "I have to go home."

Adrian frowns. "Bummer. You could have joined us for Sick, Sad, World, and this chicka painting."

The three walk on to Daria's home.

The two wave bye to her and continue on their way to Casa Lane. "She seems interesting."

Adrian looks back at the house. "I saw the way you were looking her over."

"Phrasing."

He smiles before joking back. "Hey, I'm not the one with the eye of a predator."

"Hunting down a new subject for a painting can be as raw and primal as hunting down a deer."

They continue on their way to Casa Lane.

 **Daria** is frustrated with self esteem class after less than a week. "You two have all of the answers, right?" Both nod. "Why don't we get out?"

Jane and Adrian look at each other before turning back to her. "What will we do after school?"

Daria remembers an episode of Sick, Sad, World. "UFO Convention?"

 **After** giving Mr. O'Neil the answers to get out, and talking him out of holding a special event for them, they leave a little early.

Jane checks the time, "Hey kids, I'm gonna run, I think I can catch my brother before he goes to bed."

Daria is confused. "Goes to bed?"

Jane nods. "I'm pretty sure practice ran late, or early. He wasn't home this morning anyways."

She waves the peace sign to the two, Adrian salutes her, and she takes off.

Daria realizes this is the first time this is the first time she's been left alone with Adrian. "So, uh," She can't think of anything to say.

Thankfully, Adrian was given the gift of gab. "So, you're a writer? I write, too! Mostly short horror stories. Jane's done some frames from my stories. I want to collab with her on a picture book."

"A picture book?"

He chuckles. "Don't look so skeptical. Remember that super creepy horror book for kids? I want something like that, but with my stories and her artwork."

The two stop outside of his home when they reach it.

Daria takes a second before asking him a similar question she had asked Jane. "So, you and Jane..."

His smile disappears. "Not you too. We aren't dating, have never discussed dating, and have done nothing together." His smile reappears with a mischievous addition to it. "Why, wondering if she's single?"

Daria realizes what he is implying. "No. I'm not like that." She realizes he is looking her over. "What?"

"It's okay if you are. Jane isn't like that, as far as she's told me, but we both wondered. With the way you dress and act, it wouldn't be that big a deal to us."

A red SUV drives by slower than normal as Daria responds. "I dress how I want because this is how I want to dress."

"Don't want to be confused with your sister?" Daria shifts one foot away, before Adrian continues. "Which makes sense. I wouldn't want anyone confusing me for any of the Fashion Fiends."

Daria turns away. "I need to get home."

"And I need to drop my stuff off before heading over to Casa Lane."

"Jane's parent's are okay with her having a guy over all the time?"

"Parent's? In the year and a little more we've been friends I think I've seen her mom three times, her dad once." He looks towards where Casa Lane is even though it is too far away to actually see. "Her brother Trent seemed on guard at first but cooled off when he realized we were just friends."

"Maybe I'll go over, later."

"The more the merrier."

Adrian walks towards his house as Daria goes home.

 **When** at home, she is surprised to see her mother beat her home. "They let you out of the office early? Bomb threat?"

Helen doesn't react. "Daria, who was that boy I saw you talking with?"

Daria can already sense where this is going. "Adrian, a friend of Jane's."

"Jane?"

"The girl in the red, with black leggings."

Helen doesn't relent. "Where was she, today?"

"She had to get home early."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Something about catching her brother before he goes to bed."

Helen gives her a look.

"What?"

"So you walked home with, Adrian?" Daria nods. "That was nice of you."

Daria has to fight back to urge to roll her eyes and groan. "Mom, it isn't like that."

"Daria, when I was your age, I,"

Daria cuts her off. "He's gay."

Helen stumbles over her next few words. "Oh, I, well, I knew a few back in my college days."

Daria is happy to cut off a speech about hormones as she goes up to her room.

 **The** next day, before class, the trio talk with Mack and Jodie. "Final warning bell, you two have fun." Adrian salutes them before walking with Daria and Jane to their first class.

Daria passes a note to Jane. "Why does Adrian salute people?"

Jane hands the note back. "Ask him."

Daria scribbles quickly. "I'm asking you."

Jane hands it back. "His dad is former military. When he was younger, he saw people he liked get saluted. So, as he grew up, he would salute those he likes or respects."

Daria reads it quickly, and sends it back. "That makes sense."

 **During** lunch, the three notice certain glances from others. "What," Adrian looks down at his shirt. "This is a clean shirt."

Jane and Daria look at it, and then each other. "Our shirts our on right, no bra showing, so it isn't us."

Adrian pats his shoulder. "My bra isn't showing, is it?" He and Jane laugh while Daria gives a slight smile at the joke.

While walking to the next class, Jodie and Mack stop them. "Hey, uh, we just heard a rumor from Kevin and Brittany."

Jane is the first to guess. "The Sun's going to explode?"

Adrian is next. "Football is being extended year round?"

Followed by Daria. "Classes are canceled for the popular people?"

Both shake their head. "No, that Adrian is gay."

Jane looks over at him. "I guess that explains why you never tried to jump me."

He elbows her in the side playfully. "Girl, you're gonna have to be a lot prettier if you expect me to jump you."

Daria knows Quinn must have heard her the day before but doesn't say anything.

Adrian and Jane share a couple more jokes before going back to Jodie and Mack. "Sorry, I'm not gay. No matter how badly Kevin wants me, he's stuck with Brittany."

Daria breaks her silence. "That explains all the looks we were getting earlier in lunch."

Adrian shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever, let people talk about me. They're forget it when the next rumor comes along." He looks down at Daria's legs. "Like Daria doesn't have feet, just stubs, and that's why she always wears those big clunky boots."

Sure enough, two freshman nearby hear, and whisper to the first friends they find.

Daria wants to throttle Adrian but knows she is why the gay rumor exists so lets it slide, this time.

 **The** next day just after gym, while getting dressed after a shower, three of Adrian's fellow classmates walk over to him. "Yo, maybe you should stop watching us in the shower."

Adrian is confused. "What? Watch you? Why would I watch you in the shower?"

The lead boy, a blonde hair, blue eyed asshole, spits at him. "Heard you're a faggot."

It takes Adrian a second to realize what is going on. "Oh, yeah, I heard that too. Know who started that stupid rumor?"

He laughs trying to play it off as a joke.

Mack overhears and walks over. "Guys, he's not gay. Why do you think he always hangs out with Jane?"

The lead boy looks at Mack, then back at Adrian. "Tiffany told me when we went on a date last night."

It takes Adrian a second to think of who Tiffany is. "Asian Tiffany or white Tiffany?"

"Asian."

"Fashion Fiend." His eyes go wide. "Quinn." He smiles to himself as he thinks of a great response. "I swear, I turn her down, and this is how she reacts?"

The boy to lead asshole's left reacts. "You turned her down? Dude, why?"

"I got a good thing going, why screw that up with someone else?"

All three look at each other as they process this new information before walking away.

Adrian pulls his shirt on. "Thanks for the save, Mack. Just hope Jane doesn't hear that bit about why we hang out."

Mack looks over at the three boys. "I didn't want them beating you up in here."

He rubs his arms as he thinks about how close he came to that happening. "Thanks. I didn't want them to either."

 **As** the trio walk to their last class of the day, Adrian sees Tiffany, and storms over to her. "Hey, what the hell? You almost got my ass beat."

She has her usual blank look on her face. "Huh?"

"You spread a rumor that I'm gay."

"Oh, no I didn't. Quinn said, your were, gay. I just told, Matthew, during our, date."

His hand bunches into a fist. "Quinn."

"Yeah, aren't you, friends, with her cousin?"

Adrian has to walk away before he says or does something that will get him in trouble.

 **He** relays what Tiffany told him, after explaining what happened in the gym, to Jane and Daria. "So after nearly getting beaten to death in the gym, I confront her, and she tells me it was your sister."

Daria feels the guilt eat away at her conscience. _I didn't tell Quinn to tell anyone. If she hadn't then it never would have left our living room._ "I'll talk with her, after school."

"Sure, whatever."

Jane sees how upset Adrian is. "You were joking about his before."

Adrian turns to her. "Yes, before the stupid rumor almost got me killed. Do you not pay attention to the news? Some guys tied a gay guy up to a fence and tortured him to death. With three guys, all in better shape than me, threatening me it brought it all up to the real world."

Both girls are silent as Adrian storms off.

Jane looks after him. "He does know we're going to the same class, right?"

Daria says nothing as they walk calmly to class.

 **Daria** sits in class distracted by her thoughts. _I didn't want anything to happen to Adrian. I was just trying to get my mom to not give me the hormone speech._ She looks over at him and sees him gritting his teeth. _He's pissed. He is right to be. I can't imagine how scared he was when three guys came up to him like that. If he finds out I'm the one who said it..._ She looks at Jane. _I like having friends. Jane is pretty cool. She was friends with Adrian first. She'll choose him over me if he finds out I started the rumor. I'll be alone again._

 **After** class, Daria lets her friends leave while she hunts down her sister.

She is with the Fashion Fiends when Daria finds her. "Quinn, what were you thinking?"

Quinn cocks her head to the side. "Hi, uh, my cousin."

Daria grabs her by the arm and drags her away from the other Fashion Fiends.

When alone, Daria confronts her. "Who did you tell about Adrian being gay?"

"Just my friends. I told them not to tell anyone else."

"Everyone knows. I mean, not," Daria spent nearly an hour going over this in her head during class. "He's not gay. I just told mom that to keep her from giving me the hormone speech."

"Oh! So,"

Daria cuts her off. "I'm not interested in him. I just don't want to deal with the same speech over and over again. Tell your friends he's not gay, and tell them to tell others, please."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "Daria, it isn't that big a deal to be gay. Almost chic to be according to Waif."

Daria leans closer to her. "Until he gets beaten up for it by some dumb jocks."

Quinn flinches as Daria gets a little too close for her. "Sorry! I'll tell them, like, right now."

She runs away to go back to her friends as Daria walks for the exit.

 **A/N Will I stick with the show? Will I go off a bit? Not sure. I just needed a break from writing my original stuff after finishing Unique. The book/idea has been inside my head for over a decade and finally got it down, edited, and published on Amazon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Shameless Self Insert Into Daria**

 **A/N Here I shamelessly insert myself, er, a male character totally not me into the Daria world. How many episodes will it be? Unsure. I just finished my newest book, UNIQUE by Seth Quillet, on Amazon now in Paperback and Digital format. I want/need a return to FF after finishing that monster.**

 **Daria** is careful around Adrian when she hangs out with him and Jane. She knows she should tell him the truth about the gay rumor.

The rumor disappeared quickly but his reaction is still etched in her mind.

She is with him and Jane at Pizza Prince as she explains the weirdness of her day. "So, I help Brittany in art class, and now I'm invited to her party."

Both Jane and Adrian, sitting across from her, perk up. "What? You two want to go?"

Jane nods, as Adrian smiles. "Sure, free food, free drinks, and get to watch our fellow classmates make fools of themselves."

"And," Jane adds. "Plenty of posers. I could get subjects for weeks out of this."

Daria frowns at their enthusiasm. "Well, sorry, but she only invited me."

Adrian is quick to take Daria's glasses off of her face. "Here, put these on."

Jane takes them from him and puts them on. "Hi, I'm Daria, go to hell."

Adrian gives her a look as Daria grabs for the glasses. "It won't work, your face is too expressive."

Jane dodges Daria's next attempt to get her glasses back and hands them to Adrian. "You try it, then."

Adrian puts them on, making sure to stay away from Daria, and tries his best impersonation of her. "Hey, I'm Daria, touch me and lose a hand." He takes them off. "Nope, my voice has too much inflection to it."

Daria finally grabs her glasses and puts them on. "Not funny. I'm blind without them."

Adrian and Jane share a laugh which catches Brittany's attention. "Hi Daria!"

Adrian nudges Jane in the side. Jane and him share a look before she turns to Brittany. "Hey, Brittany, Daria was just wondering if her two friends, Jane Lane and Adrian Prescott, could come to your party too."

"Sure! This way I'm not inviting any more pretty girls. The cheerleading squad is already upset Quinn is coming." She stops before looking over at Daria. "Hey! Don't you and Quinn have the same last name?"

Daria, too annoyed with Jane to speak, only nods her head in agreement. "Weird! Too bad you didn't get any of her cuteness and fashion sense or else I wouldn't be able to invite you!"

Brittany bounces away leaving behind an aggravated Daria. "If I have to look like my sister to get out of this party," She mumbles the rest under her breath.

Adrian leans over the table. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Daria picks up her slice and finishes it.

 **Adrian** and Jane laugh as they pull up to Daria's home in Trent's car.

Daria leans in through the window and sees Trent. "Um, hi."

"Yo. Do you wanna sit in the front or climb over the seats to the back?"

Daria tilts her head slightly. "Climb over the seats?"

Trent nods. "The back doors don't work."

She looks back at Adrian who is making funny faces at her. "I'll sit in the front."

Adrian pats the seat next to him. "Come back here, everyone floats back here."

Daria doesn't respond as she sits next to Jane in the crowded front seat of Trent's car.

Jane turns around to talk to Adrian. "Maybe she hasn't seen IT."

"I haven't, but I read the book."

Adrian laughs a little. "I'm sure the book is good but Tim Curry as Pennywise always makes me laugh."

Daria is confused. "Laugh?"

"All I can think about is him in Rocky Horror Picture Show. One of my favorite movies and love going to shadow castings."

"Do you and Jane switch underwear?"

Adrian and Jane blush a little when Trent speaks. "I tried Monique's once, well, I may have been a little, not there. Didn't know they weren't mine." He coughs. "I couldn't figure out why they wouldn't fit until she yelled me before I ripped her thong."

All three teens blush as Daria goes silent trying not to think about Trent and...

 **When** they reach the gates, Trent drops them off. "I have issues with authority."

Adrian comments back. "You have a lot more issues than that."

Trent laughs, coughs, and then drives away.

The guard lets them through after checking off their names.

As they get closer to the house, Daria stops. "Are you two sure you want to do this?"

Jane smiles. "Nose up, chin up, let's go."

Jane walks normally up to the door as Adrian does more of a military march, with Daria slowly following behind them.

When Brittany answers the door, she squeals in excitement. "Great! Now we're even Daria!"

Daria mumbles to herself as the three enter the house.

Adrian and Jane beeline for the snacks table while Daria looks for her sister.

 **Half** an hour later, the three meet back up near a ceramic tiger. "Wow, faux tiger, real tacky."

Jane tilts her head as she gets ideas. "I want one but I'll paint it myself. Psychedelic tiger for the living room."

Daria adds, "Maybe ask Mr. Taylor? Have you seen the other so called art work? He might let you do it. Hell, he might pay you."

Jane scribbles down in her sketchbook when Adrian notices two guys across the room. "Hmm, they're staring over here."

Jane and Daria look up. Jane smiles slightly. "The one on the right is cute, in a head too big for his body type of way."

Adrian salutes her before walking for the bathroom.

Daria almost shouts at him to get back and keep the two guys away but stops. She is unsure if they are friends enough for that. Adrian is Jane's friend, she is Jane's friend, but the two of them very rarely talk alone.

Adrian watches the two boys walk over and is not surprised when Daria rejects them.

Surprising him, Jane goes off with one of them.

Daria walks over to him at the snack table. "Um, hey."

He smiles at her uneasiness. "The guy wasn't cute enough for you?" She doesn't respond. "Maybe if he had a goatee and played guitar."

Her glare makes him laugh. "Jane noticed it too." She looks away. "I don't think Trent did but he doesn't notice the red lights he drives through so that doesn't mean much."

Daria spots Quinn talking with her puppy trio. "Time to shine."

He sees where she is looking. "Can I watch?" He pauses. "Phrasing."

She walks over to Quinn and Adrian follows.

Quinn sees the two, and not wanting to be embarrassed, knows how to deflect Daria. "Hey! Having fun with your gay BFF?"

Adrian smirks. "I'm not gay."

Quinn raises her eyebrow. "But Daria told our mom you are."

Adrian turns to Daria who acts like she just got shocked. "What? The hell, Daria."

She takes a couple steps back with her hands raised. "I'm sorry. I, she saw us talking, and I wanted to avoid her hormone talk. I told her you were gay. Quinn overheard me and told people at school."

Adrian's eyes narrow at Daria. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to wait for your sister to tell me?"

Daria stumbles over her words and can't get anything comprehensive out.

Adrian grits his teeth, clenching his fists, as the blood rushed to his face. "I could have died because you didn't want to hear some stupid speech from your mom. If Mack hadn't backed me up, I could have gotten beaten in the locker room. One punch to the wrong place, a broken rib pierces my lung or a vessel in my head bursts, and I'm dead."

Daria is finally able to spit something out. "I didn't tell Quinn to tell anyone. I didn't even know she heard me."

"That doesn't explain why you didn't own up to it. Just a simple, oops, my bad. You're new here, Jane seems to like you, so I gave you a chance. I thought that she could use some female bonding from time to time."

Daria is silent as he takes a deep breath.

"She doesn't need bitch bonding."

He turns and storms out of the house leaving Daria speechless.

Quinn is a little taken aback as she didn't expect this kind of reaction. "Daria, um, I'm sorry."

She reaches out for Daria but Daria keeps her distance. "Leave me alone." She walks towards the back door not wanting to follow the path Adrian took.

A few minutes later, with a bonus sock, Jane leaves the make out room and sees her friends aren't there. "Huh, maybe they went off for their own make out session."

Jane stays a bit more, getting some rough sketches down for later paintings, when a fight breaks out. "Welp, time to go before the police show up."

She tucks her sketchbook under her arm and walks out as quickly as she can.

 **The** next morning, the phone at Casa Lane rings almost at the same time as someone knocks on the door. "Well then, door then phone or phone first?"

The door is first on her way down the stairs so she opens it to see Adrian. "Hey, where did you disappear to last night? Go off with Daria?" She smiles a bit until his face turns dark. "What happened?"

Adrian fights back the urge to shout before softly saying "She started the gay rumor about me."

Jane's eyes go wide with shock. "What? Why?"

"Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." Jane forgets about the phone ringing and lets Adrian in.

They go up to her room, where she works on a painting, while he rants on her bed. "She couldn't even give me a good reason why she didn't tell us. Some speech from her mom or something. What the hell? She seems cool and smart but this is shallow and stupid."

"Yeah, bad move by her. Maybe we read her wrong." She swipes a brush across the canvas. "I didn't peg her as the rumor spreading kind of person."

"Can't judge a book by a cover."

Jane struggles to focus on her canvas. "Well, her parents might be a bit more involved than ours. Your dad sometimes comes home for the weekend while mine might come home for the holidays."

"Whatever." He grabs the remote and turns the television on. "Give me a couple of days to cool off and I'll be fine."

Jane turns away from her canvas. "You do have a bit of a temper. Being a hot head is something you got from your dad, right?"

He fights back a smile. "Yeah, I guess. You have to be like that in the military. Can you imagine if Mr. O'Neil was in the army? He'd never make it with how low key he is."

"So give Daria the weekend, and," There is a knock at the door. "Hmm, I'll be right back."

Adrian gets off of the bed. "It could be Monique."

Jane rolls her eyes. "She's twenty one and with Trent."

"Still hot."

Jane is glad to see the smile on his face after how angry he had been earlier.

Jane opens the door after another knock and sees Daria. "Oh, uh, this is a bad time."

Over her shoulder, Adrian sees it is Daria. _So many things I can say to her. But Jane is right. I'm a hot head like my dad. I need to stay calm._ "Daria."

Daria can't look at him as she realizes he is behind Jane. "Um, I'm still sorry. You don't know my mom but it doesn't excuse what I did."

Jane feels the animosity between the two and tries to relieve it. "You didn't know Adrian was here." She shakes her head. "You called earlier, didn't you?" She nods. "Um, Adrian has a temper but give him the weekend and he'll be okay."

Adrian doesn't like Jane speaking for him but also doesn't trust what he would say to Daria.

Daria avoids eye contact with both. "I actually came over here to ask you how to, um, make it right. I'm sorry, Adrian, I can't tell you how badly I feel. I wanted to tell you when it first came out but I didn't want you mad at me. If you're mad at me, Jane will take your side, and I'd lose her as a friend."

Jane feels her stomach twist. Adrian is her friend and Daria almost got him hurt if not worse. She sees how bad Daria is trying and wants to help her. _It would be nice to have two friends._

"I'd say blow me but you're a girl and according to you, I'm gay." Adrian realizes what he just said. "I would say sorry for that, but I'm not."

Jane turns to him. "Dude, seriously, not cool. She's trying to apologize."

"Not accepted."

Jane turns back to Daria. "Um, on Monday, I promise he'll be better. He's mad,"

Daria cuts her off. "He has every right to be but I also have every right to be wrong. I made a mistake. I'm not perfect. I apologized and that's all I can do. If he stays mad at me there is nothing more I can do."

She turns and walks away.

Jane goes back to Adrian. "Dude, like I said, not cool."

Adrian can't help but smile. "You're calling me dude. I know you must be mad because you only call me that when you want to replace dude with a more colorful four letter word."

Jane isn't amused by his banter. "Fine, dick. She apologized. Like she said, she's not perfect, and made a mistake."

His smile evaporates at her glare. "Um, sorry."

"Get out, dick. I'll see you on Monday and you better accept her apology then and apologize back to her."

He holds up his hands in surrender. "On it, Sargent Lane." He moves cautiously around her and hurries down the path to the road.

 **Adrian** stares up at the ceiling as he waits for sleep to come that night. "I have got to get control of my temper. Dad says push ups help get the anger out but I'm not a meathead like him."

He turns onto his side and sees the clock. "Daria messed up," He turns to the other side. "But she apologized." He glares into the darkness. "Apologies can't fix everything."

 **Daria** sets her book down after failing to keep her eyes on the same line. "Jane didn't take his side. She might still be friends with me even if he doesn't like me."

She sighs as she turns the desk lamp off. "She said give him the weekend. I hope it helps."

 **Jane** sets the paint brush down as her painting remains half finished. "I can't focus with those two being, being," She can't think of the word. "They would know. They're both writers."

She sits down on her bed and sees the time. "I should get ready for bed." Her head hangs down as she closes her eyes. "Please, let Adrian calm down and be nice to Daria on Monday."

She remembers the few times someone made him mad. He explodes when he goes off but then he goes back to being his normal self quickly. "Maybe I should throw them in a closet and let the two battle it out. Or make out." She smiles as the image of the two stumbling out of a closet forms in her mind.

She grabs a spare sketchbook and starts putting down the image, forgetting to get ready for bed, drawing well into the night.

 **A/N Not much to say, except thanks for reading, and reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shameless Self Insert Into Daria**

 **A/N Here I shamelessly insert myself, er, a male character totally not me into the Daria world. How many episodes will it be? Unsure. I just finished my newest book, UNIQUE MONSTER by Seth Quillet, on Amazon now in Paperback and Digital format. I want/need a return to FF after finishing that monster.**

 **Adrian** sees Jane walking with Daria. "Get over it and forgive her." He sighs, clenches his right hand into a fist, and then relaxes it.

Daria sees him walking over and is a little nervous until he smiles. "Hey Daria, uh, sorry about what I said. I messed up, you messed up, they cancel each other out."

She nods in response and feels the stress she'd been feeling all weekend disappear.

Jane is surprised by Adrian's about face but hides it.

 **Only** to be replaced by a new headache inducing issue. "College class that doesn't count for credits but are about how to, what?" She reads the pamphlet over again. "How to prepare to prepare for college." She throws it on the cafeteria table.

Jane and Adrian shrug their shoulders.

"My mom is making me go. Quinn too."

Jane and Adrian grimace before Jane speaks. "If you want, we could give you moral support."

Adrian elbows her in the side. "Speak for yourself. Army grunt here. I go there, get a degree in bio mechanical engineering, and walk out debt free."

Jane elbows him back. "What if you have to go to war?"

He pushes her playfully. "I'll be in college in the early two thousands not the nineteen sixties. There are no wars anymore."

Jane throws a fry at him and he picks it off his shirt. "Thanks for the free fry."

Daria is silent as she watches the two close friends. She doesn't want to feel jealous or insecure yet both flood her. She is still new, and is friends with Jane, but not Adrian. "Uh, please don't start a food fight."

"Food fight?"

Adrian, being closest to Kevin, turns just in time to see him grab a handful of mashed potatoes. "Duck!" All three move under the table as Kevin starts throwing his food like a chimpanzee throws its poop.

 **Two** days later, the trio enter the classroom for their college course on how to prepare to prepare for college.

Daria sits down, Jane on her right with Adrian behind Jane. "This class still doesn't make sense. What a waste of time."

Jane already has her sketchbook out and is working on her next doodle.

She doesn't stop when the teacher walks in. "Hello, I will be here to help the future prepare for their future."

Daria almost snaps her pencil at his insipid lecture pulled straight from a book written by someone who knew nothing.

As he speaks of what they wanted from college everyone day dreams of what they want.

Jane imagines having a studio apartment in New York City. Having skipped college, she has no debt, and can focus on being an artist.

Jane looks back at him, and adds him to her studio apartment.

She looks over at Daria and adds her as well.

Seeing Daria as her promoter, using her writing skills to write up better advertisements than Jane could for the next gallery showing. Adrian fixing the sink, a loose floorboard, and helping kick people out after a party.

She can't help the smile that grows across her face.

Daria's fantasy got her a trip to Paris. Even if the reason was because the professor was going to use her empty dorm for his affairs, she would be going to France.

She looks over at Jane and Adrian and can't see either of them going to the same place as her. Jane would go to an art school and Adrian already said he was joining the Army. Would she lose Jane in only a couple of years? She liked having a friend and yet this class made her think too much about the future. One where she has to start over trying to make a new friend.

Adrian sees himself leaving the Army after college. Having a degree as a bio mechanical engineer and going to work at any hospital he wanted. Fixing medical equipment pays well and with the Army paying for school he'd have no debt.

He chuckles to himself as he thinks about what Jane would be doing. "Probably hitch hike across the country or go back packing in Europe. Sleeping on strangers couches every night and having a good time."

He sees Daria peeking at him and Jane from the corner of her eye. "She'll probably be at Bromwell or Raft or some other fancy ass school."

 **After** the class, they talk about the last part the lecturer said.

Jane asks Daria first. "What college are you thinking of?"

"If I could choose, Raft. My parents will probably drag me to their alma mater."

Adrian and Jane are silent, so Daria continues.

"Middleton."

"Ah, that place is... A school." Daria narrows her eyes at Adrian. "I've heard things, okay? My dad did security for someone who is involved with that school. He said he would never let me go there and would rather I live on a commune with hippies than go there."

Daria processes this information. "Maybe it got worse since they went there."

Jane doesn't like how tense the two are being and puts herself between the two. "Why worry about college? Save your money and just write books for a living while I sell my paintings to galleries."

Adrian raises an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Be the handyman at my studio apartment. That way Daria and I can save money not having to pay for repairs."

Adrian smirks. "Landlords are responsible for repairs. Not the tenants."

Jane looks away. "Oh, well, you'll be faster in case it is an emergency."

 **Sure** enough, like Daria dreaded, her parents wanted to take her and Quinn to Middleton.

Sitting at the dinner table, Daria mentions Raft. "But Middleton is a family tradition! Follow in our footsteps, Kiddo."

Daria wants to shoot her dad's idea down but Helen backs him up. "Visiting Middleton doesn't mean you have to go there. You should visit a college and Middleton has some family history to it."

Daria mumbles under her breath. "Yes, Daria?"

Daria speaks up. "And it isn't a long drive."

Quinn makes a comment about how she might go to a college that Daria knows isn't real. "You don't know that."

Daria shakes her head and goes back to her lasagna.

 **Daria** mentions the upcoming trip to Jane while they wait for Adrian to get done talking with Mr. DeMartino after class. "Sounds fun."

"Fun?"

Jane smiles. "Go to college, hit a sorority or fraternity party, have fun. You do know what fun is, right?"

Daria doesn't respond as Adrian joins them. "Hey ladies, what'd I miss?"

"What'd? That isn't a word."

Adrian laughs a little. "If I can say it then it is a word. Jane taught me that rule."

Daria knows this is a joke between the two. Something she isn't a part of. The few seconds she feels like an outsider again hits her harder than she would care to admit. "Anyways, I'm going to Middleton with my family to check it out."

Adrian grimaces before responding. "Road trip? Can Jane and I come?"

Jane backs away from him like he just said he had Ebola. "Whoa, I never said I wanted to go."

Daria gets likes the idea. "You did say you wanted to check out the fraternity parties. I'll ask my parents if you two can come."

Jane holds her hands up in surrender. "It was a joke but I guess I'll go if we're allowed."

 **Daria** is quick to ask her mom before dinner. "Will they be riding with us or will their parents be driving them out?"

"Uh, riding with us, I think. I didn't ask."

Daria hadn't actually met Jane's parents. Or Adrian's. She'd heard about his dad but never anything about his mom. Maybe there was a divorce or death and he didn't want to talk about it. Whatever the case was, she'd met no parents in the few weeks she'd known both teens.

As Helen considers the invite, Daria realizes something else. _I never told mom the truth about Adrian. How do I bring that up?_

Just before Helen speaks, Daria spits out. "Adrian isn't gay."

Helen is confused. "He's not? You said he was." She crosses her arms and her body language screams "Explain yourself" without any words.

"I uh, thought he was. Him and Jane are friends but they don't date. I assumed that was because he was gay but he isn't. They just don't date."

Helen sighs. "What have I told you about assuming?"

"It makes an ass out of you and me. I know, I'm sorry, I forgot about it until just now."

Helen's eyebrow arches. "Why now?"

Daria braces herself for the hormone talk. "I didn't want you asking questions about, that, and him telling you the truth."

Helen nods her head. "As long as everyone behaves, it shouldn't be an issue. Tell your friends to be here by eleven, okay?"

"Yes, mom."

Daria goes up to her room to try and get some homework done before dinner.

 **Jane** is not happy to be awake before noon on a Saturday but she makes it to Daria's house. "Yo, are we doing breakfast there?"

Daria smiles. "Breakfast is usually had before lunch."

Jane yawns before responding. "Fine, lunch, whatever."

Both flinch when they hear Helen yell at Quinn who is dragging her feet about getting ready for the trip.

"Hey!"

Daria ignores Adrian as he walks up. "So, are we doing breakfast before we get there or after?"

Jane punches him on the arm playfully. "Daria says it is called lunch if you eat after noon."

"Gah, fine. I can't believe I got up this early for a joke."

Daria, feeling like an outsider again, interjects. "It is your fault, and Jane's. I don't even want to go and yet both of you said you wanted to come."

Jane yawns again. "I regret every life choice I've made that led me to this very moment."

Helen comes out of the house, sees the trio, and smiles brightly. "I see our guests are here on time. Thank you, both of you, we'll be leaving soon."

Daria decides to take pity on Jane, and Adrian, and asks her mom if they can stop for lunch before reaching Middleton.

 **Reaching** Middleton, after eating, Helen and Jake get distracted and wander off from the tour guide.

Quinn runs off on her own leaving the trio with the tour guide. "Are you three actually looking to come here?" All three shake their heads. "Want to come back to my dorm and watch some TV?" All three nod.

The tour guide, a pretty brunette woman, leads the three to her dorm.

 **Daria** is busy with helping two students with their papers while Jane and Adrian laze about on a couch. "So, this is college?"

The tour guide takes a sip from her soda. "Pretty much. Gaming the system for better grades and less work. Watch TV when you're not busy doing required volunteer work."

Adrian ignores what she says as he checks out the ladies in the room leaving Jane to speak. "Required volunteering? Isn't that the opposite of volunteering?"

The tour guide laughs. "Yes, but it is part of the college experience."

Jane turns to Adrian. "Forced volunteering sounds like something Ms. Li would try."

He pulls his eyes away from a college co-ed long enough to fake fear. "Don't give her ideas. She has enough evil spreading around Lawndale High as it is."

Jane nods in agreement before turning back to the show they were watching.

 **After** a bit more money making by Daria, the three are led to Fraternity Row by the tour guide.

Adrian is ready to hit a party, which is already in full swing, when they see the Keg Queen. "Daria, is that your sister?"

Daria nods as the tour guide explains what the Keg Queen does. "She doesn't even have a drivers license."

Jane smirks. "Neither do you."

Adrian continues her train of thought. "None of us do."

Soon, Helen and Jake find the three, and Quinn, and freak out.

Adrian and Jane back away when Helen rails Daria for not keeping a closer eye on Quinn. Adrian, stunned by what is happening, tries to defend Daria. "We stuck with the tour guide. Weren't we supposed to stick with her? If we ran off after Quinn we would have gotten lost and never found you. You're our ride back so if we don't find you we're boned."

Helen is about to berate him harshly but stops. After a deep breath she more calmly explains to him. "When you're older and have children of your own you'll understand.

Adrian, not wanting to piss off his ride, stays silent.

Daria is thankful that Adrian distracted her mom and stopped the responsibility speech.

Helen yells at the frat boys when campus police show up. Finding that a minor was at a frat party, the whole group is kicked off campus.

 **At** the next class, everyone goes over their experiences.

After Kevin's tale of being covered in syrup and left in a field, Adrian tells the story of Middleton. "Then the campus fuzz stepped in and kicked us out. Overall a waste of time."

Jane continues the story. "We could have slept in. It was Saturday and I was awake before noon. Even if getting kicked out of college before even being accepted was funny it wasn't worth it."

The man teaching the class shakes his head and mumbles about teens today before continuing asking the others about their experiences.

 **The** trio go to the pizza place to talk about how stupid the class was some more.

Daria sits on one side of the booth with Jane while Adrian sits on the other side. "A waste of time even with the amusing story."

Jane finishes her bite of pizza before adding on. "Nothing is worth being up before noon on a Saturday."

Adrian holds up his slice. "What about free pizza?"

Jane gives him a look before smiling. "Okay, I'll give you that."

Daria, seeing the two start doing what they do, jumps in. "Food of any kind is a motivator. I wouldn't leave my room if this place didn't have food."

Jane perks up. "Daria, have you shown Adrian your room?"

Daria, in mid bite, can only shake her head.

Adrian is confused. "What's so cool in her room that makes your eyes light up like that?"

Daria wants to tell Jane to shut up but with pizza in her mouth she can't. "She has the coolest room. Some schizo person lived there previously and the walls are padded."

Adrian turns to Daria. "Holy hell, really?"

Daria finishes her bite. "Yes. I can't hurt myself but I can't hurt anyone else either."

"Whoa, seriously, can I see it?"

Daria looks down at the remaining of her pizza instead of answering.

Jane notices and saves the situation. "I'll take pictures next time I'm there. I don't think her mom would be okay with her bringing a boy up to her room."

Adrian laughs. "A boy? Is that all they'd see me as? Seriously, the first couple of months we hung out, Trent made sure to keep an eye on me."

Jane laughs back. "You were a boy hanging out with his little sister."

Adrian looks at Daria for a second before turning back to Jane with a joke brewing in his mind. "Until he realized we are just friends and my having a vagina and you having a penis doesn't matter."

Daria's face turns red as Jane laughs so hard she starts to cry. "Oh, god, seriously Adrian, I can't believe you said that."

He laughs with her and both ignore how much Daria is blushing.

When the two finally stop laughing, Adrian sees Daria's face. "Hey, you don't know what we have. At least, what I have. You don't have gym with me."

Daria feels even more uncomfortable and can't say anything.

Jane decides to take mercy on Daria. "Adrian, that's enough. She's about to be mistaken for a tomato."

Adrian apologizes to Daria followed by another joke. "I'm a funny guy, but hey, looks aren't everything. Right?"

Daria still can't speak so Jane insults him. "Dork. If you don't stop I won't take pictures of her room for you."

He holds his hands up. "Fine, I'll stop." He sees Daria almost trying to sink into the booth seat and feels a little bad. "Daria, seriously, I'm sorry. Jane and I know we're of the opposite sex but it doesn't matter. Trent learned after a couple of months that it didn't matter. She's as interested in me as I am in her brother. We joke about it but I get being new you're not used to it."

Daria mumbles _thank you_ before picking up the crust of her pizza and starts to nibble on it.

Adrian sees the time, says he has to leave, and gets up from the booth. "See you ladies tomorrow at Lawndale Hell."

Jane and Daria say goodbye to him before he leaves.

Being alone, Jane turns to Daria. "So, uh, I know his joke was crude but I didn't expect you to react like that. You must have read books with romance and sex in it before."

"I have, even if they aren't my usual style. I just, it was unexpected. And weird. How you two are and how little it matters that you're a girl and he's a boy. You two never thought about dating?"

Jane shrugs her shoulders. "I've known him since him and his dad moved here back in sixth grade. Before dating was a thing. We went to a couple of dances in the eighth grade but it was as just friends. He could dance with other girls, I could dance with other boys. I know some people don't understand,"

Both girls look over at Kevin who was currently pretending to be a walrus with his straws.

"Others do. Jodie and Mack get it. You get it, right?"

"I do. Just, you two are so close. You have jokes and rules and other things I'm not a part of. You two can share a look and start laughing and I have no idea why."

Jane can almost feel the sadness coming off of Daria. "Hey, you just moved here a few weeks ago. Stick with the cool kids and you'll get it."

"Cool kids?"

Jane smiles and places a hand on Daria's arm. "We're the coolest. We might not be popular but we're still the coolest."

Daria's smile is weak but there. "Thanks."

Jane pulls her hand away. "I know you still don't gel well with him but he's a great guy. The best. I had friends at art colonies my mom took me to over the summer but I never had a friend like him. We can sit and make fun of whatever show we're watching while I paint. He bitches about his dad being away for weeks, I comment I last saw my mom three months ago, and we understand."

Daria has a question she wants to ask but held back. She decides now is a good time to ask. "Adrian, his mom, uh, what's the story there?"

Jane purses her lips together.

Daria knows she is treading the line. "Forget I asked."

Jane sighs. "It's not something he wants people knowing but I'm sure it will be okay if you know." Jane takes a deep breath. "His mom cheated on his dad while he was overseas for the army. Multiple times. He found out, filed for divorce, and when the courts gave her custody of Adrian he tried to, um, hurt himself." Jane bites her lip before continuing. "He was honorably discharged and made to see a doctor."

Daria is shocked by this. "Wait, then how is he here?"

"Less than a year later she uh, was with the wrong guy who got drunk and beat her into a coma. Adrian called 911 and when they came out and found the situation his dad flipped. Sued for custody, won, and moved as far from Colorado as possible. He hadn't seen his dad in months, was happy to be with him, but now his dad takes bodyguard work. Politicians mostly when they go on oversea trips. Just as he got to be with his dad again his dad takes all of these jobs and isn't home."

Daria thinks about how at most she might go a day or two without seeing her dad. He goes on a trip for a business conference on Friday but is back on Sunday. "Wow. Um, this is a lot. I shouldn't know this. You shouldn't have told me. Why did you tell me?"

Jane hugs herself. "He hides it but I know he wants attention. He was neglected by his mom and even though his dad isn't the same, Adrian feels abandoned. It messes him up. He bottles it up but it does mess with him. Why he snapped at you as badly as he did about that stupid rumor. He tries to put on the happy face and be funny but deep down I know he's in pain. You two aren't friends, I know that, but maybe you will be. I think you're cool and I like having you as a friend. Maybe he will see what I see and let you over the wall he has up."

Daria thinks of her past interactions with him and how little they spent alone without Jane. "I can try." The thoughts of how her parents work a lot but they were home more often than not eat away at her. How Jane hadn't seen her mom in months. Adrian going weeks without seeing his dad after being neglected by his mom. It makes her see how good she has it. The minor things she complains about seem even more minor in comparison. "He goes weeks, you go months. How do you feel?"

Jane relaxes. "Okay. They pay the bills, make sure I have money for my art, and love me. I know they do. My mom always praises me and my dad loves seeing my artwork. Just because they aren't home doesn't mean I don't know." She looks towards the door. "Adrian knows his mom didn't care. He knows his dad works to pay the bills but wishes he was home more. I look at him and see how good I have it."

Daria is surprised to hear that Jane thought the same way as she did. "It really makes you think. No matter what gripes I have, someone else has something worse."

Jane tilts her head and stares at Daria.

"What?"

"Adrian, he said the same thing. He pushes forward and ignores the past because he knows others have it worse. At least, that's what he says. I know it affects him more than he lets on but he tries to keep it behind him because he knows others have it worse."

The two look around the pizza place and wonder who else around them was hiding pain. Hiding a dark history.

Jane tries to smile but fails. "Good job being a Misery Chick, Jane Lane."

"You're not a Misery Chick." Daria pushes away her own dark thoughts. "I'll try harder to be friends with him. Just, don't tell him you told me. He might not like that you told me. If we ever become close enough that he tells me I won't tell him I already know."

"Thanks." Jane leans over and hugs Daria before letting go. "Now that I've lost my appetite, want to come over and watch me paint while you make fun of whatever?"

Daria knows that is what Jane said she and Adrian do. Being included like this makes her feel better. "Sure."

 **A/N With my newest book, Unique Monster, finishes and on Amazon I could go back to FF for a bit. Finished my Drake, Chapter 5 being the best of the series. And now this episode is done and I feel is the best. Got a little dark/emotional at the end but we learn more about a new character that we didn't know. None of this is based on my life, just an amazing back story, for my Adrian character. Hope you enjoy, and if you have the time, review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Shameless Self Insert Into Daria**

 **A/N Here I shamelessly insert myself, er, a male character totally not me into the Daria world. How many episodes will it be? Unsure. I just finished my newest book, Moment of Silence by Seth Quillet, on Amazon now in Paperback and Digital format. I want/need a return to FF after finishing that monster.**

 **A** drian, Daria, and Jane sit in class as Mr. O'Neil discusses a recent break in. "I thought we'd take a break from the tragedy that is Romeo and Juliet and instead focus on a real life tragedy. The break in at Cafe Lawndale." He looks over at Kevin. "Charles?"

"Uh, you mean Kevin?"

Mr. O'Neil checks the seating chart. "Oh, yes. So, what do you have to say about it?"

"I was at home! Besides, I already have a computer."

As this goes on, Adrian hands Jane a note. _That didn't sound too suspicios, did it?_

She writes a response and hands it back. _Nope. Also, suspicious._

He looks up from the note and glares a little before writing and handing it back. _Excuse me for missing a letter. Anyways, if we get our homework during lunch I was thinking we could hit Dega Street._

As Jane writes a response back she notices Daria speaking and Mr. O'Neil's response. "So, you feel we should go back to the coffee shops of yore?"

She leans over to Daria. "You're a visionary."

Mr. O'Neil continues to drone on about the coffee house while Daria objects to it multiple times.

 **A** fter school, the trio are walking home. "So, Daria, what inspired you to present your idea for a coffee house?"

She rolls her eyes before responding. "I just said to put a coffee machine in the computer lab."

"It sounds better when you think about what could happen."

Jane glances at Adrian. "It sounds like you might be interested in it."

He smiles slightly. "I've been working on a song. Those lessons you had Trent give me for my last birthday might finally pay off."

Daria didn't even know he played guitar. It shows how little she knows about him. How much he and Jane had and shared and knew but not her. "You play?"

He waves his hand in the air. "Not really well but I can."

Jane punches him on the arm playfully. "Come on, it can't be any worse than Trent."

"You'd be surprised." The two laugh while Daria stays silent.

 **For** there to be a coffee house, there needs to be money. Money means fund raising. Daria doesn't want to do it but her mother goads her into doing it.

Thankfully, she drags Jane and Adrian with her for company.

Jane takes pictures, Adrian gets bored and buys a candy bar from Daria.

Daria puts the money in her pocket. "I don't think that's how we're supposed to be doing this."

He swallows the chocolate before replying. "Love me my chocolate and it is for sale. Nothing says we need to sell it to strangers."

Janes jokes, "You'd be the first in the van if a stranger had candy."

He jokes back, "After the first three or four times you fall for it you learn your lesson."

When the three come across a woman, clearly in bad shape, they are tempted to sell her chocolate until she passes out.

Adrian swoops in and checks her pulse and breathing. "Strong pulse, heavy breathing, could be low sugar." He checks her wrist and sees medical information on it. "Not diabetic? Huh, well, could be low blood pressure then."

Jane takes a photo, ignoring Adrian and the woman, while Daria looks around for a phone.

The woman starts to wake up and sees Adrian. "What, I, must have worked myself up too much coming up the stairs."

Daria finds a phone in the living room and yells, "Should I call 911?"

The woman, with assistance from Adrian and Jane, gets off of the floor. "Oh no. I don't need them fussing over me." She wipes sweat from her brow. "Now, about them chocolate bars."

Daria comes to the door. "I, uh, still don't think we should see you any. Your doctor wouldn't approve. You said that."

The woman has to catch her breath before replying. "I know what I said! I also said what he don't know won't hurt him."

Adrian shakes his head. "I looked at your medical bracelet. We can't sell you chocolate. I'm sorry. I could go and get you a lemonade, low sugar, if you want."

The woman's face scrunches up before she speaks. "I guess that would be nice."

Adrian turns to Jane and Daria. "You two go on without me. I'll head over to Jane's after grabbing a lemonade from my house for her."

Daria is a little surprised to hear how eager he is to help this stranger. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Don't worry, I promise not to get into any vans unless they have brand name candy and not the crap Ms. Li has us selling." He salutes Jane and gives Daria a curt nod.

The two walk away while Adrian makes sure the woman will be okay before getting the promised lemonade.

 **Daria** is curious and asks Jane the question on her mind. "Why did Adrian do, well, everything that he did."

Jane looks back towards the house. "His dad made him get training. You never know when you might need CPR or whatever."

"Training? Like, military? Why doesn't he go to military school?" Jane gives Daria a look. "My dad went to one."

"Really? Huh, didn't know that. As for Adrian, he plans on going into the army and his dad knows that but doesn't want to pressure him. He wants Adrian to choose for himself."

Her father never had a choice until he was an adult. The rants Jake would go on at random times... "That's cool."

The two eventually give up on trying to sell candy and go to Jane's.

 **When** Adrian doesn't show up, the two get worried. "Maybe we should check on him?"

Jane smiles. "Wow Daria, you're more worried about him than I am."

Daria doesn't like Jane's tone. "He's your friend. If, I mean, I want to get on his good side too. I know he still doesn't like me."

The two walk downstairs to use the phone. "What makes you think that?"

"He doesn't salute me when he leaves. Or I leave."

"Huh, never paid attention." Jane picks up the phone and calls Adrian. "Yo, Adrian, where are you? Daria and I just got back."

"Oh, Jane."

Jane realizes the voice is too deep to be Adrian's. "Oh, hi Mr. Prescott."

Daria can't help but react. "His dad's there?" Jane nods as she continues to listen. "Sure, I'd love to come over tomorrow. Maybe bring my friend, Daria? She is selling chocolate for a school fundraiser." She laughs at a response Daria can't hear. "No, he only bought one."

After a few more minutes, Jane says goodbye and hangs up. "So, tomorrow you and I are going over for lunch." She motions with her left hand to the bag Daria has. "Bring chocolate."

Daria's face goes paler than normal. "Meet his dad? I haven't even met your parents."

Jane puts her hands on her hips. "So? You want to get on Adrian's good side? Come with me to lunch tomorrow."

Daria mumbles under her breath. "What?"

"I guess. I need to sell chocolate if I want to get credit for an extracurricular activity."

 **Daria** is a ball of nerves as she walks over to Adrian's with Jane. "I've never even seen a photo of him. I go to your house, not his. I've never been in Adrian's house or room. What if I say or do the wrong thing?"

Jane is a little worried as Daria rambles. "What is it, really, that you're so worried about?"

Daria wants to lie but knows she can't. "You're friends with Adrian." She lowers her eyes to her boots. "If I mess up again like I did with the rumor, he'll hate me more than he already does. I want to be friends with you but if it came to him or me I know you'd choose him."

Jane uses her left hand to lift Daria by the chin so she can look Daria in the eyes. "If you messed up like the rumor, yeah. Not if you were totally reasonable and he got mad. Don't say or do something like that and even if he does get mad I'll just call him an idiot and wait until he gets over it. I like having two friends."

When Jane lowers her hand Daria doesn't break eye contact. "Thanks. I'm new to the whole friends thing. Highland... I don't want to mention those, things."

Jane perks up. "So don't. And stop worrying about Adrian or his dad. I've probably seen his dad the past couple of years more than my own. He's a good guy."

Daria stays quiet as they get closer to Adrian's house.

 **Daria** sees the family resemblance immediately. Their faces, chins, and eyes are almost carbon copies.

Adrian is almost a smaller version of his father. Being five ten instead of six four. _Is he sure he wasn't cloned?_ Daria remember what Jane told her about his mom and what happened there. _I better not say anything._

Mr. Prescott shakes her hand. "Nice to meet you, young lady."

"Um, you too."

Adrian goes up the stairs to grab something leaving his father alone with Jane and Daria.

Mr. Prescott smiles showing off teeth stained yellow from years of coffee and smoking. "Adrian says you're friends with Jane but not him. Why is that?"

Daria feels her heart stop. She knows why Adrian doesn't like her. "Um, I, I said something stupid. I apologized but I understand if he is still mad about it."

"Oh?" He turns to Jane. "What did she say? If you're friends with her I doubt it would be anything too harsh."

Jane sighs before explaining the situation of the rumor. Making sure to defend Daria and Adrian at the same time. "So, she realized she screwed up and apologized. He took a couple of days to cool off but accepted it."

"I see," He turns to Daria and puts a hand on her shoulder. "You know, for as long as there has been a military, there has been a saying. Loose lips sink ships was popular during WWII. In Vietnam it was the jungle has ears. In Desert Storm we had _the radio is only as secure as the person using it."_ He pulls his hand away. "Understand?" Daria nods. "No one died and I know Adrian has a bit of a temper. Can't feign ignorance and claim I don't know where he gets it from."

Daria barely gets another _I'm Sorry_ out before Adrian comes back with a guitar. "Hey Jane, could you," He sees the look on Daria's face and turns to his dad. "Dad, what did you do?"

He turns to Adrian. "Nothing. Just had a chat with Daria about loose lips." He clears his throat. "And how I understand you have a temper."

Adrian almost drops his guitar. "Dad, I, you didn't. Daria, what happened there, gah. I can't believe you."

Daria looks over to him. "No, he's right to ask me about it. You're his son and he's protective of you. I, what I did was stupid and could have gotten you hurt."

Jane doesn't like how things are going and tries to change the subject. "Adrian, what did you want with the guitar? Want me to have Trent look it over?"

Adrian smiles at her glad she changed the subject. "Yes. And maybe you could add your own artistic touch to it? If we raise enough to build the coffee house I have a couple song ideas I might perform there."

Jane looks over at Daria and the bag she carries. "I think Daria has something to help with that."

Daria remembers the bag and holds it up. "I brought twenty bars."

Mr. Prescott laughs. "I'll take them all."

 **After** lunch, the three leave and start walking over to Jane's. "Daria, uh, sorry about my dad." He stops when Jane gives him a look.

With a heavy sigh, Adrian continues. "And me. There, better Jane?"

"You're stubborn, a hot head, and even then still know when you're wrong. It isn't me though you should be asking."

Both look at Daria.

She can't help but to study her boots. "Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, I know I messed up. Why I apologized. I get that made you mad, what I said. I wasn't going to keep bringing up, um, what happened."

Jane puts a hand on Daria's and Adrian's shoulder. "So, before we can cut the tension with a knife, everything is cool between you two? Friends?"

Adrian turns to Daria and smiles. "I won't be saluting you but I won't be giving you the finger behind your back, either."

Daria's eyes go wide at the last comment.

Jane shoves Adrian lightly. "You did not do that."

"No, but I thought about it." He smiles, laughs, and holds his hand out to Daria. "How about we ignore what happened? No need to bring up what never happened."

Daria tentatively reaches for his hand. "It sounds like you've had to do that before."

He looks at Jane and winks. "A time or two."

Her cheeks flush with color. Daria is curious but decides not to ask about it, for now.

 **While** Daria sold chocolate, her sister sold phone cards. A lot of them. More than enough to get the coffee house built just how Mr. O'Neil envisioned it.

The night of the actual opening however... "Yo, Daria. What are you planning?"

She hides her folder filled with a story she wrote. "Nothing special." She turns her head looking for Adrian. "Where's Adrian?"

"With Trent. Going over a song he's performing tonight."

Daria looks down at her boots. "Trent's coming?"

Jane can't help but smile at Daria's reaction. "No, just helping Adrian. He'll be long gone before you do, whatever it is, you're planning."

Adrian walks in with his newly painted guitar. Flames emitting from the center and wrapping around to the back where a skull is. "Hey Jane, Daria." He sees the folder in Daria's hands. "You plan on doing poetry or something?"

"Or something."

 **Several** students go up and perform. Punk rocker, Andrea, and Kevin with Brittany.

Andrea sits down at the table next to where Jane, Daria, and Adrian sit.

Adrian stands up with his guitar. "Well, time to embarrass myself."

Jane calls after him as he walks towards the stage. "Mystic Spiral play almost every week and they don't seem to mind embarrassing themselves."

Daria had not yet seen Mystic Spiral play so isn't sure how much of what Jane said is a joke.

Adrian sits down on a stool and grabs the microphone. "Uh, if you don't know who I am, I'm Adrian. I got a lot of help from Trent of Mystic Spiral. At least he tried to help me learn guitar." Silence from the crowd. "Anyways, here is Broken, by me."

He starts to play, misses a note, and stops. "Wow, nerves much?" He closes his eyes and starts again. This time doesn't miss a note.

After a few seconds of just the guitar, he starts to sing. "I like that you're broken, broken like me. Maybe that makes me a fool. I like that you're lonely, lonely like me, I could be lonely with you."

As he sings, his eyes open for a second or two before closing again.

Jane leans over to Daria. "It's like playing peek a boo with a toddler. As long as he doesn't see the crowd they aren't really there."

Daria watches and listens and notices when Adrian opens his eyes they are always looking at the table she, and Jane, are sitting at. _Is he, did he write this song for Jane? About Jane? They're just friends aren't they? Jane and I just became friends and if they start to date... He said we would ignore what happened. It didn't happen. He can't hold it against me. I hope._

"There's something tragic, almost pure. Think I could love you, but I'm not sure. There's something wholesome, there's something sweet. Tucked in your eyes that I'd like to meet."

Daria hears the lyrics and realizes how deep they could be. She is able to tear her eyes away from Adrian and look over at Jane who is nodding her head along to the song with her eyes closed. _She doesn't see it. Maybe I'm seeing things. He looks over here because Jane is his friend. Lyrics don't have to mean anything._

A minute later, Adrian finishes the song. "Well, uh, you aren't throwing things or booing so I guess the couple notes I missed weren't too noticeable."

He gets off of the stage and sits down at the table. "Who's next?"

Daria snaps to attention when Mr. O'Neil calls out her name. "Me, crap."

She gets on stage with her folder and opens it. "Melody Powers and..."

 **After** the riot, Adrian walks Jane and Daria down the street. "So, what did you two think of my song?"

Jane speaks first. "It was okay. A little sappy. Who was it about?"

Adrian's eyes go wide with shock for a second. "Uh, not really anyone in particular."

Jane's eyebrow raises. "Oh, really? Then why did you keep looking over at Andrea when you were playing?"

 _Andrea? She was... Sitting at the table next to us. Her chair was next to Jane._

Adrian gives out a nervous chuckle. "Uh, was it that noticeable?"

Jane turns to Daria. "Was it?"

"I, uh, noticed he looked at the table when he did open his eyes. Just thought he was looking at you since he knows you and you're friends."

Jane turns back to Adrian. "Hey, maybe she noticed too. Not every guy writes a song for a woman. Very romantic of you."

Adrian is clearly flustered. "I, I mean, it isn't like that. I mean, sure, she might be cool. You think she'd really dig the song?"

Daria walks a little slower, letting the two friends gain some distance between them and her. _Jane says she wants to be friends with me. I can't let every little sign that they might be closer set off my anxiety like that. If we weren't friends it wouldn't matter but I like having a friend._ She sighs under her breath. _"_ He might be my friend too."

"Daria?" She looks up from her boots to see the quizzical look on Jane's face. "What's up, Amiga?"

"I, uh, just can't believe my story got half of the sophomore class to riot."

Jane and Adrian laugh together.

 _It will be okay. Jane is my friend. Adrian might be, eventually._ "And your song was okay, too. I've never heard Mystic Spiral play, only practice, so I don't know if it was better than them or not."

Adrian puts a hand over his heart. "You doth wound me. To think my song was as bad as Every Dog Has His Day is just a wound I shall not live through."

Jane punches him lightly on the arm. "I'm going to tell Trent that if you don't pick up the pace."

"What's the rush?"

"I don't have a curfew but don't you?"

Adrian's smile disappears. "Only when my dad is home."

Jane's smile goes the same was as his. "Oh, uh, that was quick."

"It pays the bills."

Daria knows the mood of the night is ruined and doesn't know what to do or say so stays quiet.

The three walk to their separate homes while dealing with their inner thoughts.

 _I hope Jane keeps being friends with me. Adrian too._

 _I hope Andrea liked the song. Maybe I could ask on Monday? We have economics together._

 _Damn, I was hoping the song was about... Me._

 **Lovelytheband- Broken is the song used in this episode.**

 **Also, check out my YT channel, James the Lesser Express Lane!**


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